The first sign that you have fallen in love with pastry is when it takes you four hours to finish and then the next day it’s all you can think about.

Let me be clear though, this was no ordinary pastry. I don’t fall in love with pastry on a whim. I’ve had a few pastries in my time and i’m not fickle enough to fall in love with each one.

This particular pastry had me add hello.

A large base of choux pastry with a creamy delectable custard filling, chocolate shrapnel baked into the pastry, a moreish meringue topping decorated with slivered almonds and dusted in icing sugar.

I remember it like it was yesterday. Probably because it was only yesterday.

The Bordeaux Bakery in Wellington call it a Royale but the closest i could find on Google was the Paris Brest. I’m not entirely sure it is the same thing but after at least an hour of searching it was as close as i was gonna get.

A very brief history thanks to the Travel Provocateur explains that “This wheel-shaped dessert is named after a bicycle race from Paris to the port of Brest and back. Durand’s maison was on the cyclists’ route, and in 1910, a delicate pastry wheel was born.”

If i was a little more confident in my baking prowess i would attempt to make this pastry mountain of awesomeness. Seeing as of late my baking has been less than impressive (some very sad wee Belgian Biscuits that i don’t want to talk about), i’m going to post an incredible recipe by pastry Chef Michael Laiskonis in the hope that someone makes it and tells me how easy it is…

Cocoa Paris-Brest

Ingredients

Vanilla Pastry Cream

– 7 ounces/200 grams whole milk

– 3 ounces/90 grams heavy cream

– 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

– 2 large egg yolks

– 2 ounces/60 grams granulated sugar

– 2 tablespoons/15 grams cornstarch

– 1 sheet gelatin, previously bloomed in cold water

– 0.5 ounce/15 grams unsalted butter

Cocoa Pate À Choux

– 6 ounces/180 grams water

– 4 ounces/120 grams whole milk

– 4 ounces/120 grams unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

– 1 ounce/30 grams sweetened condensed milk

– ½ teaspoon/2 grams fine sea salt

– 4.5 ounces/140 grams all purpose flour

– 0.5 ounce/15 grams cocoa powder

– 4 large eggs

Cocoa Paris-Brest

– Cocoa Pate À Choux

– 1 egg, for egg wash

– Water, as needed

– Sliced almonds, as needed

– 8 ounces/240 grams Vanilla Pastry Cream

– 4 ounces/120 grams unsalted butter, softened

– 3 ounces/90 grams hazelnut praline paste

– Confectioner’s sugar, as needed

Directions

Vanilla Pastry Cream

1) Place milk, cream, and vanilla in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.

2) Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and corn starch.

3) Remove the milk form heat and carefully whisk in to the egg yolk mixture.

4) Return to the pan and to medium heat, stirring constantly, just until combined mixture begins to boil.

5) Remove from heat.

6) Stir in the gelatin and transfer the mixture to a shallow bowl, discarding the vanilla pod.

7) Allow to cool and then stir in the butter until incorporated.

8) Store tightly wrapped, under refrigeration.

Cocoa Pate À Choux

1) Place water, milk, butter, and salt into saucepan and bring to a full rolling boil.

2) Add the flour and cocoa all at once to the boiling mixture.

3) Stir with wooden spoon or heatproof spatula until a smooth mass forms.

4) Keep cooking and stirring it around over moderate heat to dry out the dough as much as possible, about 2 to 3 minutes.

5) Transfer dough to mixing bowl. With the paddle attachment, beat at medium speed to release steam and cool a bit for one minute.

6) At low speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated between additions.

7) The dough should look smooth and glossy.

Cocoa Paris-Brest

1) Transfer cocoa pate à choux dough to a pastry bag with a plain tip and pipe out as desired.

2) Beat one egg yolk with 1 ounce water to make an egg wash.

3) Liberally sprinkle the sliced almonds over each puff.

4) Place in pre-heated 400 degree F oven for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 300 degree F to continue baking for about 20 minutes more, until the interior of each puff has begun to dry.